Safer Batteries

Hoverboards, two-wheeled, self-balancing skateboards, are banned from some airlines, subways, and retail stores. That’s because there have been dozens of reports of fires and explosions because they are powered by lithium batteries, which are filled with highly flammable material. An engineer from Stanford University has designed a useful solution to prevent this dangerous problem. Her design involves a thin piece of plastic that helps regulate lithium batteries and make them safer. Listen to this story to find out more about how this innovative solution works.

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Related Current Events

NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, called 2014 the hottest year on record and cited the changing climate as the cause of extreme storms, droughts and floods around the world. Slowing climate change is a top priority of President Obama, who unveiled his Clean Power Plan on August 3rd. The Plan would limit the carbon that power plants can release, cutting emissions by a third over 15 years, as well as boost the use of renewable energy. China and the U.S. are the top contributors of carbon emissions, and Obama wants the U.S. to lead the way and encourage other countries to set limits as well. He faces significant political opposition to the Clean Power Plan, even though two of three Americans support the idea.

Diamonds are the hardest materials on Earth—and in space. Neptune’s core is made out of diamonds and still survives the core’s intense pressure. Scientists now study diamond’s resistance to high pressure to see what else it’s useful for. Listen to this radio story to learn more about diamonds.

Sample Current Event

Language Challenge

These levels of listening complexity can help teachers choose stories for their students. The levels do not relate to the content of the story, but to the complexity of the vocabulary, sentence structure and language in the audio story.

Low

These stories are easier to understand and are a good starting point for elementary students or English learners.

Medium

These stories have an average language challenge for middle and high school students, and can be scaffolded for English learners.

High

These stories have challenging vocabulary and language and students may need to have some background knowledge to understand the story.